R. David LeButt
At the time of his passing, Dave had accumulated over 35 years of experience and insight in the field of packaging, and was a key member of and mentor to the staff at the Georgia Pacific Technical Center located in Norcross, Georgia.

Dave was a Michigan State Univeristy School of Packaging graduate, active member of IoPP and a key member of the ISTA volunteer management team. Dave was the first person certified when ISTA's Certified Packaging Laboratory Technician program (now CPLP) was launched.

Education and the future of packaging were among the key issues in the discipline for Dave and as a tribute to Dave’s never-tiring efforts, his professionalism and eagerness to openly share his knowledge and experiences with so many in the packaging industry, we are pleased to name the Foundation in his honor.

The ISTA Educational Foundation is dedicated to assisting the education of students at Universities with programs in packaging education. Scholarship awards will go to students with an interest in transport packaging. The scholarships will begin when adequate capital has been raised to insure the continual funding of scholarships.

Foundation history
The ISTA Educational Foundation was established in 1999 after the untimely death of R. David LeButt an International Safe Transit Association officer. Recognizing a need to honor a friend and colleague who participated in and realized the importance of a packaging education, the Board of Directors decided to establish a scholarship called the R. David LeButt Memorial Scholarship Fund. It started with a generous gift from the Georgia-Pacific Corporation, where Dave worked, a matching contribution from ISTA and several other company gifts. Each year, an individual is honored by receiving the prestigous R. David LeButt Packaging Education Award. Click here to meet the recipients. It was then decided to establish a separate Foundation to raise additional monies for a scholarship that would give money to packaging students from various universities.

The Foundation has held special events for fundraising and a direct campaign is currently being developed. The ISTA Educational Foundation has applied to be a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. All contributions are tax-deductible. We ask that you and your company please consider supporting the Foundation by making a contribution or pledge and we sincerely thank all who have already offered their support.